Of easton



Quieres r. messinese, es EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

Lettere Patent No. 74,928, dated lf'cbrurtry Q25, 1868.

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TO ALL WI-IOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known-,that I, QUINTUS F. Messmcnn, of Euston, Northampton county, Pennsylvania, haveinvented an Improved Corn-Cutting Machine; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, elettr, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters ot' reference marked thereon.

My invention consists of certain mechanism, fully described hereafter, by which stalks oflcorn are cut, and. theupper parts collected together on a platform, so as to form a. shock, which is dropped to the'ground at such e point as not to interfere with the future operations of the machine. p

Inox-der to enable others skilled in the art to malte and-use my invention, I will now proceed to describe .its construction and operation, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms a. part of this specificntion, and in wllieh- Fi'gurel-is a side View of my improved corn-cutting machine.

Figure 2, a plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view on the line i-2, 1, and

Figures 4, 5, 6, detuchedviews, illustrating parts of my invention.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In snituble bearings on' theframe A.of vthe machine, tugns the main driving-shaft B, to which are secured driving-wheels C and C', anda. largcicog-wheel, D, the latter gearing into la pinion, a,'1.1pon a. shaft, E, which" turns in bearings at the opposite sides of the frame. i To the shaft E is secured a bevel-wheel, b, which gears with u pinion, t', on u shaft, F, the latter turning in brackets, c, secured to the frame of the machine, and having at one end a crank-wheel, d. A fingerbar,G, is securedat one` end to the frame A, at the reur of the driving-wheel C', and prnjectslatcrally fromgthe-machine, the fingers c of the said bar supporting a cutterbnr, I-I, which is connected to the crank-wheel@ by-.afrod,f. A curved plate, I, is secured to the finger-bar G, und in the latter, and in u bracket, g, turns a 'vertical shaft, J, to which a rotary motion is imparted by a belt, 7L, from n. pulley, it', on the end of Athe driving-shaft; To the upper end of the shaft J is secured a wheel, K, from the edge of which projectol number ofpins, z', the object of which will be explainedhereafter. 'A guidebar, L, is secured to theiuger-bar, G, and is bent in the peculiar manner shown in the drawing, so 'that its upper end,j, shall be adjacent to and correspond in `curvature with a portion of the peripheryfrof the wheel c, its lower en d,j, projecting outwards, as shown in 3, for a purpose described hereafter. A rod, M secured to the frame A, projects upwards, and'is hent nt'k, as shown in iig. 2.` A frame, P, is supported by and is arranged to slide in guides, Z l, secured to the rear ond of the frame A of the machine, and in this framePturn a number of short spindles, m and m', to the outer end of each of which is secured one end of aplate, n. When the spindles are in the positions shown in figs. 3 and 4, the plates n, ranged side by side, form uplntform, R, and above thc latter is a light 4metal frame, S, which is secured to the frame I. From cach of the spindles m, iig. 6, projects a. short curved arm, p, which'passes through holes in a plate, g, resting upon the spindles, and from the spindles m project curved arms 11', which pass through holes in a. similar plate, q', the two plates ggbeing prevented from rising by a stationary platen', which is secured to the frame I. .To the outer end of one of the centre spindles m is secured an arm, s, und to the adjacent spindle, m', is secured an arm, t, and these two arms are so connected by rods u and u to alevor, c, hung to the frame, that when the arm s is operated the spindles'm and m' will be turned equally in opposite directions for a purpose described hereafter.

- Operation.

The machine is drawn overthe ground in a direction parallel to the row of corn to be cut, (the position of which is indicated by the red line y, iig. 3.) Motion is transmitted from the driving-shaft B by the cog-wheel D, and the gearing described, to the crank-wheel d, und thence-by the rod f to the cutter-bar H, to which a rapid reciprocating motion is tl1usimpart ed,'the wheel K being turned in the direction of its arrow. The stalks of corn are successively severed by the cutters, those. which have been beaten down being guided to the cutters by the projecting portion j of the bar L. lThe upper ends of the severed stalks fall between the pins of the wheel K, and are carried round by the latter between the periphery of the same and the rod L, and are finally thrown against the bent portion of the rod M, their lower ends resting upon the platform I. The stalks are removed from time to time by yan attendant, and are placed upright upon the platformvB, their upper end resting against the frame S, and when a. suicient number of stalks to form a shock are collected upon the platform,

they are bound together near their upper ends. Tho frame P and platform R are now moved laterally to the position shown in iig. 3, whenthe arm s, fig. 4, is depressed until the plates n, forming the platform R, assumo the position shown in iig'. 5, when the stalks forming the shock will fall between the plates. until their lower ends rest upon the ground, the angle to which the plates are turned separating the stalks near the lower ends, thus insuring a broad hase to the shock. By moving the platformR to one side beforedropping the shock, the latter will be clear of the ourse of the machine when the nextparallel rowof corn is cut. As the machine moves on,'tl1e frame S passes over the top of tho shock, the attendant moves the plates n to their original position, shown in Hg. 2, and another shock is formed lupov the platform R, and dropped as before.

I claim as myV invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patentv 1. The rotating wheelvK, 'with its pins 1,', in combination with the cutters, the bar L, or lits equivalent, and with a platform, Vso connected to the rear of the machine as to be adjustable laterally foi` the purpose described. 2. The platform'R, consisting of a'series of plates, n, in combination with the dericesherein described, or the equivalent of the same for operating the said platos, all substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The arrangement of the bent bar M and the wheel K, asand for the purpose set forth. n testimony whereof, I have signed my nametopthis speciication'in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' QUINTUS F. MESSINGER.

Witnesses:

H. D. MAXWELL, G. W. S'roU'T. 

